2024 Indian Roadmaster Technical Specs, First Look, and Upgrades

Indian Motorcycle is a popular all-American motorcycle brand, having decades of experience in manufacturing artfully designed American cruisers, baggers, and luxury tourers. Indian Motorcycle first added the exclusive Elite model to its Roadmaster lineup in 2018. Last year, Indian opted out of the release of the 2023 Roadmaster Elite model, and it was speculated that the model year 2024 will also not see its launch. 

However, the Indian Motorcycle has brought back the Roadmaster Elite with unique badging, a tweaked engine for greater torque production, and a premium tri-tone paint scheme. The special finish of this top-of-the-line bike distinguishes it from the other Elite models. This year, the steep price tag of $41,999 has also attracted attention, starting a new debate about whether this dressed-to-the-summit, exclusive motorcycle is worth the hype and price tag. After all, for many, it is just a two-wheeler with the new paint job, stylish badging, a torquey power plant, touring accessories, and a high-end entertainment package. This article brings you all the information about the all-new, limited-edition, custom-style, 2024 Indian Roadmaster Elite motorcycle, including detailed technical specs, performance figures, first look, and features, to help you determine whether the 2024 Elite model of the Indian Roadmaster makes for a worthwhile investment. 

The 2024 Indian Roadmaster Elite is a special edition bike with over 350 models distributed worldwide. To offer the potential owners a sense of personalization, Indian has designed premium and matchless badging and a sequentially numbered center console. The most profound feature of this motorcycle, which imparts a special custom look to this factory bagger, is its paint scheme. Offering a tri-tone paint scheme, candy finish, and hand-painted Gold graphics, the Roadmaster Elite is a piece of art, meticulously combining the aesthetics of the past with contemporary custom glamor.

In addition to the unique paint job that harkens back to the 1904 Indian motorcycle, premiering the manufacturer’s iconic Red paint scheme, the 2024 Roadmaster Elite’s center console also reminisces the 1904 Indian Camelback to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the vintage model, dazzling the onlookers.

At the heart of this motorcycle lies the air-cooled and fuel-injected Thunderstroke 116 V-Twin engine, best known as the award-winning overachiever by Indian Motorcycle. For the 2024 model, the brand has restricted itself to cosmetic and technological upgrades. The 2024 Roadmaster Elite is better accessorized with safety features, infotainment, and touring accessories to offer an all-encompassing travel experience. Regardless, the new Roadmaster Elite is a treat for sore eyes. According to the brand’s Vice President, Aaron Jax:

Besides its dazzling paint job, other premium features of this model include polished rider and passenger headdress floorboards, stitched color-matched heated and cooled seats, gloss-black dashboard, a wide tinted windshield, and 10-spoke machined wheels. Auxiliary lighting for saddlebags and Pathfinder Adaptive lights for overall visibility make this bike a masterpiece for which the brand’s Director of Product Design has the following words:

From the technical perspective, the 2024 Indian Roadmaster Elite is majorly unchanged. Powered by the fuel-injected, air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 V-Twin engine with pushrod-driven valves, the motorcycle has the traditional large American bagger capacity with a special focus on a greater torque production, 126 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm, as opposed to peak horsepower. Due to the massive torque figures, the appeal of the Thunderstroke 116 engine for the gigantic Roadmaster Elite is self-explanatory. Being the heaviest of bikes currently available on the market, the Roadmaster Elite weighs 890 lbs/ 403 kg when fully fueled. Considering its weight, the bike is aimed at and perfected for straight-line comfort. The chassis is strong enough to be loaded with luggage and passenger for a long-distance trip.

For enhanced comfort and wind protection, the 2024 Roadmaster Elite model comes with an electronically adjustable windshield, a fork-mounted fairing, and adjustable lower fairing vents, allowing the rider to regulate the wind flow. The combined weather-proof, stock luggage system is remote locked in and tied into the keyless ignition and offers 36.2 gallons of storage capacity. Heated seats are now a common comfort feature on many premium baggers; however, cooled rider and passenger seats are a fairly less explored concept that the Roadmaster Elite has introduced this year. 

On the technological front, the 2024 Roadmaster Elite is furnished with an impressively elaborate 7” RIDE COMMAND infotainment system, which is touch-screen enabled and allows riders to control all the settings of the bike, use integrated navigation, connect the phone to the bike with the Apple CarPlay. With a 600-watt audio system, the Roadmaster Elite allows riders to enjoy their music playlists for an immersive listening experience. The audio system also includes AM/FM radio options. 

For riding assistance and optimal safety, the motorcycle features ABS, cruise control, and selectable riding modes, USB charging points, rear cylinder deactivation, and overall LED lighting, ensuring a tech-powered touring experience. 

The base model around, which the 2024 Roadmaster Elite is made of, is already a machine of significant comfort, power, and luxury. However, there is a huge difference in the price of these two bikes, primarily because of the luxurious paint, Elite branding, and graphics that only Roadmaster Elite flaunts. The 2024 base model of the Indian Roadmaster is available for US MSRP $32,999, while the Roadmaster Elite model starts at $41,999.

According to the brand, the designers have pulled inspiration from custom bikes of the past and present to come up with the tritone paint. Moreover, they claim to have partnered with the two most popular motorcycle custom paint shops: Gunslinger Custom Paint in Colorado and Custom Painted Vehicles in Wisconsin for the candy finish and hand-painted gold striping that according to the manufacturer each bike took over 24 hours to complete in terms of paintwork.

For many, the $41,999 price tag is not worth it; however, from the customization point of view, if riders select the base model and customize it using a virtual configurator with floorboards, armrests, sound system, heater, and cooled seats, windshield, audio system with Powerband and Bass Boost, Pathfinder adaptive lights, and a wheel upgrade, the price will spike closer to the Elite model, but they would still be missing out on the premium paintwork. Undoubtedly, the price is a little high, especially if the rider is looking to upgrade to a touring motorcycle after riding a standard naked bike for years.

With multiple options of touring motorcycles, such as the Honda Gold Wing and the BMW K1600 Grand America Option 719 Midnight motorcycle, that are dressed to the nines, have reversed, and are priced lower than the Indian Elite models. When compared to the Harley Davidson Road Glide CVO model, the Roadmaster Elite comes at a lower price; however, beating Harley at its own game is quite a challenge even if the motorcycle is offered at a lesser price.

The 2024 Indian Roadmaster Elite being a special edition two-wheeler is not designed for the masses at large, and can only be owned by riders who are custom enthusiasts and enjoy collectibles. Made to compete with Harley’s King of Bagger CVO model, the Roadmaster Elite is an excellent attempt by the brand to revisit its roots and create something that aligns with the philosophy of the company while at the same contest in the race for modernity and sophistication. To ensure a top-notch finish on these bikes is a lot of work, and this is why these bikes are not produced in large numbers.

Riders who are Indian loyalists and would love to buy the 2024 Roadmaster Elite had it been affordable, can simply draw inspiration from the branding, graphics, and candy paint finish of the bike to achieve a similar custom look. Those looking to upgrade their Indian cruiser motorcycle on a tight budget can simply install premium Indian Roadmaster aftermarket parts and luggage for a similar comfortable feel and luxurious touring experience.